Backstage with
Artist / Designer
FABIAN BOLLIGER
TODAY, WE’RE EXCITED TO SIT DOWN WITH FABIAN BOLLIGER, A SWISS DESIGNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR KNOWN FOR HIS STRIKING VISUAL CONCEPTS AND THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO STORYTELLING THROUGH DESIGN.
WITH A PORTFOLIO THAT SPANS EDITORIAL, BRANDING, DIGITAL EXPERIENCES, AND SPATIAL INSTALLATIONS, FABIAN’S WORK OFTEN SITS AT THE INTERSECTION OF PRECISION AND POETRY. HE BRINGS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE SHAPED BY BOTH SWISS DESIGN TRADITION AND A GLOBAL, CONTEMPORARY OUTLOOK. IN THIS CONVERSATION, WE DELVE INTO HIS CREATIVE PROCESS, INSPIRATIONS, AND THE ROLE DESIGN PLAYS IN SHAPING HOW WE INTERACT WITH THE WORLD AROUND US.
HOW DO YOUR EXTENSIVE TRAVELS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES INFLUENCE THE STORIES BEHIND YOUR FURNITURE PIECES AND ARTWORK?
ALMOST ALL OF MY FURNITURE AND ARTWORKS TELL STORIES, EXPERIENCES, OR EMOTIONS. MY TRAVELS ARE ESPECIALLY INSPIRING, AS I CONTINUALLY DISCOVER NEW CRAFTS AND CULTURES THAT I TRY TO INCORPORATE INTO MY ART IN MY OWN UNIQUE WAY.
CAN YOU SHARE A CHERISHED MOMENT FROM YOUR LIFE THAT INSPIRED A SPECIFIC PIECE IN YOUR COLLECTION?
WITH ONE OF MY FIRST WORKS, MYSTICAL CONNECTION, I TELL A STORY THAT I EXPERIENCED IN VIETNAM. IT IS ABOUT AN EVENING WHEN, DURING MY MOTORCYCLE JOURNEY THROUGH VIETNAM, I MET A FAMILY WHOSE KINDNESS AND HOSPITALITY SAVED ME FROM A DISASTROUS NIGHTTIME MOTORCYCLE TRIP.
DURING THE FIVE-COURSE MEAL THEY SERVED, WE TRIED TO COMMUNICATE SOMEHOW WITH HANDS AND GESTURES.
“FIRST WORKS, MYSTICAL CONNECTION”
YOUR WORK COMBINES ABSTRACT ART WITH FUNCTIONAL FURNITURE DESIGN. HOW DO YOU BALANCE CREATIVITY WITH PRACTICALITY IN YOUR CREATIONS?
FUNDAMENTALLY, IT IS CLEAR TO ME—PERHAPS DUE TO MY MANY YEARS OF WORK AS A CARPENTER—THAT MY OBJECTS MUST ALWAYS HAVE A FUNCTIONAL ELEMENT.
THE INTERPLAY WITH ABSTRACT ART ALLOWS ME TO EXPRESS MYSELF IN A UNIQUE WAY. A PERFECT COMBINATION FOR MY WORKS CONSISTS OF FUNCTIONALITY, UNIQUENESS, STORY, AND ART.
WOULD YOU NAME A PERSON WHO INFLUENCED YOUR PATH AS AN ARTIST/DESIGNER?
DANIEL ARSHAM, ZAHA HADID, BANKSY.
WHAT EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS DO YOU AIM TO EVOKE IN PEOPLE WHO INTERACT WITH YOUR FURNITURE AND ARTWORK?
VARIOUS EMOTIONS, AS LONG AS THEY ARE INTENSE. JOY, HAPPINESS, LOVE, THOUGHTFULNESS, AND AWARENESS.
HOW DO YOU SELECT THE MATERIALS—WOOD, STEEL, ALUMINUM—THAT YOU USE FOR EACH PROJECT, AND WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU LOOK FOR IN THEM?
I USUALLY START WITH A PROJECT IDEA AND THEN DECIDE WHICH MATERIALS ARE SUITABLE, BOTH IN TERMS OF HOW THEY CAN BE WORKED WITH, AS WELL AS THEIR AESTHETIC AND THEMATIC FIT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WANT TO SYMBOLIZE FRAGILITY, GLASS MAKES SENSE. IF I WANT TO EXPRESS STRENGTH OR RESILIENCE, STEEL IS THE RIGHT CHOICE.
“LOVE, THOUGHTFULNESS, AND AWARENESS ”
HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE STORIES OF YOUR PIECES EVOLVING AS THEY BECOME PART OF SOMEONE ELSES LIFE AND HOME?
I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING HOW MY CREATIONS AND THEIR STORIES CONNECT WITH THOSE OF THEIR NEW OWNERS. ONCE A PIECE LEAVES MY STUDIO, IT BECOMES PART OF A NEW SPACE AND A NEW DAILY LIFE. IT EXPERIENCES THINGS, ACCOMPANIES PEOPLE, AND AGES WITH THEM.
OFTEN, THERE’S ALREADY A STRONG CONNECTION AT THE MOMENT OF PURCHASE, WHICH I FIND BEAUTIFUL, BECAUSE IT TELLS ME THAT I’M NOT ALONE WITH THE EMOTIONS AND STORIES THAT INSPIRED THE PIECE. BUT SOMETIMES, THAT CONNECTION GROWS SLOWLY OVER TIME. THE PIECE, MUCH LIKE ITS OWNER, DEVELOPS A KIND OF PATINA, AND IN SOME CASES, IT EVEN BECOMES A SYMBOL OR A KIND OF LUCKY CHARM.
NO MATTER HOW IT HAPPENS, THE MOST MEANINGFUL THING TO ME IS KNOWING THAT SOMEONE FEELS A CONNECTION TO MY WORK. WHETHER IT’S THROUGH THE TEXTURE, THE SHAPE, THE MATERIAL, THE STORY, OR THE EMOTIONS IT STIRS. THAT’S WHEN AN OBJECT BECOMES A COMPANION. AND ULTIMATELY, THAT’S MY GOAL.
YOUR WORK OFTEN INVOLVES PRECISION AND THE USE OF VARIOUS CARPENTER TOOLS. HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND AS A CARPENTER INFLUENCED YOUR APPROACH TO DESIGN AND ART?
MY BACKGROUND AS A CARPENTER IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ME, AS IT GIVES ME ALMOST ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.
THANKS TO THE MANY TECHNIQUES I’VE LEARNED, I’M ABLE TO REALIZE ALMOST ALL OF MY ARTISTIC VISIONS MYSELF, WHICH REMOVES A LOT OF BARRIERS THAT I’D FACE IF I ONLY HAD THE IDEAS BUT LACKED THE MEANS TO BRING THEM TO LIFE. IT ALSO ALLOWS ME TO MEET MY OWN HIGH STANDARDS, BECAUSE I KNOW EVERY DETAIL IS EXACTLY AS I ENVISIONED IT.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES A PIECE OF FURNITURE OR ARTWORK TRULY SPECIAL AND ONE OF A KIND?
TO ME, A PIECE BECOMES TRULY SPECIAL WHEN IT TELLS A STORY, EVOKES EMOTIONS, AND ALLOWS THE VIEWER TO FEEL THAT IT WAS CREATED WITH HEART, EXPERIENCE, AND PERSONALITY. A WORK OF ART ISN’T JUST THE RESULT OF CRAFTSMANSHIP. IT ALWAYS REFLECTS THE ARTIST, THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND THEIR EMOTIONS.
” I WANT TO SYMBOLIZE FRAGILITY, GLASS MAKES SENSE ”
WHAT FUTURE PROJECTS OR THEMES ARE YOU EXCITED TO EXPLORE IN YOUR ONGOING JOURNEY AS A DESIGNER AND ARTIST?
I HAVE SEVERAL LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS IN MIND THAT I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, ALTHOUGH THEY’RE CURRENTLY ON HOLD DUE TO BUDGET LIMITATIONS. IN THE MEANTIME, I’M PLANNING A RANGE OF LIGHTING DESIGNS AS WELL AS SOME PROMISING DESIGN CONCEPTS THAT I’M VERY EAGER TO REALIZE.
I’M ALSO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THE UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS. THERE’S NOTHING MORE FULFILLING THAN INSPIRING PEOPLE AND BRINGING THEM JOY THROUGH MY WORK.
AS WE’VE SEEN THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION, FABIAN BOLLIGER’S WORK GOES FAR BEYOND AESTHETICS—IT’S ABOUT CREATING MEANING, PROVOKING THOUGHT, AND DESIGNING WITH INTENTION. HIS ABILITY TO DISTILL COMPLEX IDEAS INTO CLEAR, ELEGANT VISUAL LANGUAGES IS A TESTAMENT TO BOTH HIS RIGOR AND SENSITIVITY AS A DESIGNER.
WHETHER YOU’RE A FELLOW CREATIVE OR SIMPLY SOMEONE CURIOUS ABOUT HOW DESIGN SHAPES OUR EXPERIENCES, FABIAN’S INSIGHTS ARE A POWERFUL REMINDER OF THE IMPACT THOUGHTFUL DESIGN CAN HAVE. FABIAN, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WORLD WITH US.
